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Obama steamed over Susan Rice

What annoyed Obama more than anything was Republican attacks on Susan Rice. | AP Photos

The president sounded almost ready to tap Romney for a Bain-style makeover of the government: “That skill set of trying to figure out how do we make something work better applies to the federal government.”

Obama also declined to beat his chest as hard as Bush did after winning a second term when he said he had earned “political capital” and planned to use it.

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The president did tiptoe right up to the mandate line, saying a “clear majority of the American people” agree with his tax-hike approach to deficit reduction. But then he backed down a bit.

“I don’t presume that because I won an election, that everybody suddenly agrees with me on everything. I’m more than familiar with all the literature about presidential overreach in second terms,” Obama said, hinting at his occupation with his legacy. “We are very cautious about that.”

And even as Obama vigorously defended Rice, he was more accommodating toward congressional efforts to dig into how the U.S. government handled the Benghazi attack.

Few presidents would welcome the “Watergate-style” special congressional committee that McCain and Graham want to create to probe Benghazi, but Obama sounded agnostic Wednesday about what mechanism Congress uses to investigate. “I’m happy to cooperate any way Congress wants,” the president said.

While Obama was willing, even eager, to jump into the fray over Benghazi, he seemed intent on keeping his distance from the extramarital affair scandal that drove CIA Director David Petraeus from office last week.

“I have no evidence at this point from what I’ve seen that classified information was disclosed that in any way would have had a negative impact on our national security,” Obama said.

Obama never said — nor was he directly asked — where the line should be drawn between personal conduct that has no bearing on public office and a private life that calls into question one’s ability to serve, particularly in a sensitive national security post. He said Petraeus quit because he didn’t live up to his own standards.

“By his own assessment, he did not meet the standards that he felt were necessary as the director of CIA with respect to this personal matter that he is now dealing with with his family and with his wife. And it’s on that basis that he tendered his resignation, and it’s on that basis that I accepted it,” Obama said.

Readers' Comments (311)

Clearly, at least as clear as it gets in Republican minds riddled with partisanship, Ambassador Rice should have dismissed the assessment of the intelligence services and instead based her official statements on unverified rumors. It is the height of irresponsibility for a high-ranking member of the administration to relay the official CIA talking points instead of engaging in speculative rumor-mongering.

1- It is good that the President is taking blame for this instead of shifting the blame to others. Nonetheless, for someone being considered for a role that was a State/International matter, the idea is that requests for further security was denied, and a U.S. Ambassador and a few other Americans were killed. It is worth an extensive investigation to be looked in to who all was informed on this, as well as who were the main decision makers in that process.

2- President Obama does have a history of mixing the wrong people for the wrong positions. Joe Biden didn't even want to be Vice President. Hillary Clinton is the one the people (especially Democrats) wanted as Vice President (actually, she won more votes in the Democratic primary, but the delegates & super delegates gave Obama the nomination), although with her main focus on healthcare, why was she not put as Secretary of Health & Human Services - or Vice President? (Obama was worried that Bill would be involved in a lot of the Obama/Hillary decision making - but so what? Bill seemed to have had a natural skill for politics - this is coming from a Republican = me.)

3- It's worth noting the interesting comparisons of Obama to Bush:

A- Both beat a guy from Massachusetts in their bid for re-election. B- Both beat Sen. John McCain. Bush in the 2000 GOP Primary Election. Obama in the 2008 General Election. C- Both chose a black woman Ms. Rice to be their Secretary of State in their 2nd term. Each of those woman was a key member of their first administration in something relevant to foreign policy. Condi Rice was National Security Advisor, Susan Rice is U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. D- Both have 2 daughters. E- Both had lost a bid for U.S. Congress. Bush in 1978, Obama in 2000.

Anyway, I’m thinking Obama should go to the mat right away regarding this first nomination, and let the Tea Party Republicans threaten to filibuster – again.

All the more reason for the Senate to change the rules the first thing next session.

If conservatives are determined to sabotage everything again – revenge – then we must take steps to make sure they don’t destroy the government on their fanatical crusade to punish America for re-electing Barack Obama.

Notice how Zippy needs to show phony outrage and pretend he is coming to her rescue from those mean white men in order to distract anyone from asking anymore questions. Too bad Politico is not a credible news organization to ask those questions. It's such a pity, what a waste.

More infantile talk from our President. I'm so tired of this kind of back and forth between Obama and the Republicans. The Republican Senators have a job to do. They should do it and keep their mouth shut. Part of their job is holding the executive branch responsible for screw ups. Benghazi was a screw up, and Susan Rice told the nation a lie on five different television stations in one day. She ruined her chances of any promotion by conveying a lie. Obama now claims he told her to convey the lie, but that doesn't get her off the hook.

The petulant child is 'riled up' because anyone would dare pick on one of his staff members for lying to the us when the WH saw what was happening in real time and knew what she was saying was a lie. Was he as 'riled up' when 4 Americans, including an Ambassador, were murdered while possible rescuers were told to stand down? Obama is all show and no substance. His grey hair is back to black now so I guess his phony 'premature grey from working so hard' story doesn't matter any longer. He's won another term and now doesn't care what anyone says or thinks. He has more 'flexibility' to do whatever he wants. God help this country!

I agree with Obama. Rice did what she was told. She did just what Powell did when Bush sent him to the UN with bad information Weapons of Mass Destruction. McCain and Lindsey are becoming annoying at best.

I agree with Obama. Rice did what she was told. She did just what Powell did when Bush sent him to the UN with bad information Weapons of Mass Destruction. McCain and Lindsey are becoming annoying at best.